Royal Society honors Inglis and Sever with Research Culture Award for transforming scientific communication

We’re grateful and excited to share that Dr. Richard Sever and Dr. John Inglis have earned The Royal Society’s 2025 Research Culture Award for contributions to improving the scientific system and changing the culture of scientific publishing, through the development of the first preprint servers for the life sciences and medicine.

This honor recognizes the work of the co-founders, team and community of bioRxiv and medRxiv who brought preprints to the life sciences and continue to ensure that these platforms enable scientists worldwide to share their research rapidly, equitably, and without cost, eliminating barriers that have traditionally slowed scientific discovery. Today, the platforms collectively host over 360,000 preprints from research institutions across the globe, reaching a hundred million readers annually.

Inglis and Sever credit their colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), including CSHL President Dr. Bruce Stillman,  their medRxiv co-founders Harlan Krumholz, Joe Ross, Theo Bloom, and Claire Rawlinson, the preprint teams at bioRxiv and medRxiv, as well as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and many others for sustaining and supporting the growth of the preprint program.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition from such a prestigious institution,” said John Inglis, Executive Director of CSHL Press and Chair of openRxiv’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. “It rewards not only the dedication of our preprint teams but also the courage of early adopters who embraced preprints when they were still considered radical. Today’srapid sharing at the speed of science serves both researchers and the public.“

“I am honored to receive this award,” added Richard Sever, now Chief Science and Strategy Officer at openRxiv. “This recognition celebrates the extraordinary commitment of colleagues who have dedicated themselves to transforming scientific communication. Through bioRxiv and medRxiv, researchers can share discoveries more rapidly, accelerating the pace of scientific progress worldwide.“

Building for the Future

In March, Inglis and Sever helped establish openRxiv as an independent, community-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to stewarding bioRxiv and medRxiv for the long term. openRxiv is committed to ensuring open, transparent, and sustainable research communication that serves the global scientific community.

The Royal Society, founded in 1660 as the world’s oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, annually recognizes outstanding contributions to science and research culture. As Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, observed:

“The recipients of this year’s medals and awards have all made outstanding contributions to science and its applications for the benefit of humanity. Celebrating these diverse contributions is core to the Society’s mission.”

Acknowledging Our Community

openRxiv extends heartfelt congratulations to John Inglis and Richard Sever, and expresses deep gratitude to our colleagues, partners, and funders, including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Yale University, and BMJ, whose support has made the preprint movement a global reality.

For additional details, see the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory announcement.